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Tag: how far is bolzano from trento

From the old city center, you can walk to the Castle, Buonconsiglio Castle which dates back to the 13th century and is now a museum. The Castle is a perfect fairytale castle with towering crenelated walls, courtyards and impressive towers. The castle housed Bishops from the 13th century until the end of the 18th century. Later the castle was used by the Austrians as a military barrack and jail. Trento was actually part of Austria and annexed to Italy in the 1920’s. Since then the castle has been a museum and art gallery.

You can visit almost every room in the castle, so allow for at least an entire afternoon for your visit. You will pass through rooms with ornate ceilings, walk on a bridge that connects two buildings (really!) and see paintings and sculptures. There is also an inner courtyard which is a lovely secluded spot with a fountain and pleasant landscaping. From the courtyard you will wait for your allotted time slot for the tour of the “Eagle Tower” or Torre Aquila.

——— What is Eagle Tower? Why see the Eagle Tower?

It is actually the main reason to visit the castle, even the main reason to visit Trento! In order to visit the Eagle Tower you have to go on a tour (for this portion of the castle only, otherwise meander at your own will). The tour is really just a guide that takes a small group down a long narrow corridor to the tower. The tours have audio guides for many languages. So.. the reason for seeing the tower… The dark tower houses the International Gothic frescoes of the “Cycle of the Months.” These 15th century frescoes are perhaps so well preserved because of the lack of sunlight. You will stand in awe as the audio guide explains each month, pointing out the details of fashion, crops, and more. It is a charming room with scenes like a 15th century snow ball fight! The artist is unknown, but does not go unappreciated.

-By TRAIN: from Verona it is about an hour train ride. Trains leave about every hour from Verona.

-By TRAIN from Bolzano it is about an hour train ride as well. Trains leave about every hour from Bolzano.

-By CAR: this is an option if you are coming from Lake Garda or any of the surrounding mountains and all I can say is use GPS.

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Those are the main highlights of Trento. The castle is the main attraction and does take a good portion of your day to see. If you are in Trento more than one night or two days, there are also a multitude of hiking trails.